Lead Quality Specialist

About the role

Aechelon Technology, a Shield AI company, is a leading producer of 3D simulator content, including Geospecific visual/sensor databases and realistic 3D models. We seek people who share our passion for real-time computer graphics and commitment to our mission of helping make our Nation's pilots safer. We will give you a chance to work with some of the most talented people in the graphics industry.

Own and continuously improve the Quality Management System (QMS) for Aechelon Technology's simulation products, programs, and services within Shield AI. Drive quality from development through delivery and support, working across Engineering, Program Management, Operations, Contracts and Procurement to turn requirements into clear actions and verified results.

Serve as the primary quality liaison for customers, suppliers, and subcontracts. Ensure customer quality commitments flow down to suppliers and subcontractors and are met throughout execution, with Aechelon retaining accountability for subcontracted work.

This is an individual-contributor role that leads through subject-matter expertise, cross-functional influence, and process ownership, with no direct people-management responsibilities.

Key Responsibilities

Quality Management System

• Maintain QMS policies, procedures, records, and objective evidence appropriate to software, hardware, simulation, and systems integration.
• Plan and conduct risk-based internal, program, supplier, and subcontractor audits; support customer and third-party assessments, including audits required to maintain ISO 9001:2015 certification.
• Coordinate with responsible functions to incorporate applicable contractual, regulatory, cybersecurity, export-control, configuration-management, and documentation requirements into quality planning.
• Establish measurable quality objectives and KPIs, and regularly report quality performance, trends, significant risks, and recommended actions to Aechelon Technology and Shield AI leadership.
• Use quality data, audit findings, and lessons learned to identify systemic issues, prioritize process improvements, and verify their effectiveness.

Customer and Program Quality

• Serve as a primary customer quality contract and coordinate responses to customer quality inquiries, Corrective Action Requests (CARs), nonconformances, and quality concerns.
• Ensure required quality documentation, certifications, inspection records, test results, and other deliverables are complete and provided to customers as required.
• Partner with Program Management and functional-teams to incorporate customer quality commitments into program execution and verified completion before customer acceptance and delivery.

Subcontractor and Supplier Quality

• Identify applicable customer requirements and work with Contracts, Procurement, Engineering, and Program Management to incorporate them into subcontracts, purchase orders, statements of work, and supplier quality clauses.
• Define expectations for processes, documentation, inspection, testing, configuration control, traceability, reporting, and acceptance.
• Assess supplier capability, technical competency, quality performance, and risk; establish scorecards and monitor performance throughout execution.
• Conduct appropriate audits, source inspections, and surveillance; review inspection, test, acceptance, and quality records before accepting deliverables.
• Require documented root-cause analysis and corrective action for nonconformances; verify closure and effectiveness. Escalate recurring issues and coordinate probation, remediation, disqualification, or replacement as needed.

Nonconformance and Corrective Action Management

• Establish and administer processes for documenting, investigating, dispositioning, and closing nonconforming products, software, documentation, or services within established approval authorities.
• Lead Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) activities, including structured root-cause analysis for significant or recurring internal and customer quality issues; track resulting corrective actions to closure and verify their effectiveness.
• Analyze quality data to identify systemic trends and recurring failure modes.

Leadership and Cross-Functional Responsibilities

• Coordinate quality execution across functional teams, establishing agreed deliverables, milestones and dependencies.
• Track quality commitments and escalate missed milestones, unresolved issues, and resource constraints to the appropriate leaders.
• Provide training and guidance to employees regarding quality processes, customer requirements, subcontractor quality expectations, and continuous improvement.
• Escalate significant quality risks when contractual commitments, customer satisfaction, safety, schedule, or product performance may be affected.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in engineering, quality management, business administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• Experience supporting simulation, aerospace, defense, or other complex hardware/software products.
• Experience serving as a primary quality contact for customers and supporting external certification audits.
• ISO 9001 lead auditor training or certification, ASQ Certified Quality Engineer, ASQ Certified Quality Auditor, or a related quality credential.

Benefits

• We offer a very attractive compensation package including competitive base salary, company performance-based profit sharing, 401k, 100% employer paid health benefits (medical, dental, vision, life, std, ltd, and life insurance plans).
• No relocation reimbursement provided.

This position description is not intended to be a complete listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee holding this position. Duties, responsibilities and activities may be changed or others may be assigned at any time by the Company with notice to the employee.